Finance Committee opens executive session on Michael Falconer nomination; recessed to hold floor vote

The Senate Finance Committee opened an executive session March 18 to consider the nomination of Michael Falconer to be Deputy Secretary of the Treasury. Committee leaders said members would be allowed three minutes each for remarks before the panel recessed to attend an upcoming Senate floor vote and reconvene afterward to hold a committee vote.

Chairman (recorded in transcript as Chairman Grapevine/Chairman Crapo) described Falconer’s record as including public- and private-sector experience and urged bipartisan support. Ranking Member Senator Wyden and several other senators strongly opposed the nomination, citing concerns about recent actions at the Treasury and alleged threats to taxpayer privacy and enforcement, and arguing that the nominee had been evasive on questions about impoundment authority, workforce reductions at the IRS, and other policy matters.

Senators on both sides used their allotted remarks time to raise broad policy concerns, including tariffs, taxpayer privacy, and enforcement of the Corporate Transparency Act. The committee recessed the markup to convene on the Senate floor for votes and scheduled the continuation of the Falconer markup to resume off the floor at the committee’s first Senate vote time (the committee recorded that the vote would be scheduled at the first vote at 1:15). No committee vote on the nomination occurred during this session.